Novelty key indicator



Nov. 23, 1954 H, GRUMBACH, 2ND 2,694,844

NOVELTY KEY INDICATOR Filed Aug. 18, 1952 United States Patent O NOVELTY KEY INDICATOR Henry Grumbach 2nd, Chicago, Ill. Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 305,000 4 claims. (Cl. 24-73) This invention relates to a new article to be manufactured and sold in the nature of a detachable novelty key indicator for keys of any type where identifications are desired, through the sense of touch, marks, objects or colors.

The primary aim of this said novelty key indicator is to make it easier to attach or detach from the key, key chain, key ring or key case so that the user thereof may attach it so as to easily and quickly identify any of his keys when it is necessary to select one-even by the touch of the object when it is impossible to view the keys.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a connecting or attaching device for keys, rings and chains having resilient and compressible bodies of varying shapes and designs which have a slidably mounted hook carrying means or rod therein, in which the hooks are so positioned that, when the yieldable body members are in their normal shape, the ends of such hooks will engage the ends of the bodies and releasably anchor keys, rings, or chains thereto; and wherein the squeezing inward of such bodies will open said hooks to permit mounting or removal of such keys, rings or chains. An advantage of said designs having varying shapes is that the user can feel and recognize the different shapes and sizes without requiring visual inspection and recognition of the keys.

Other objects andl accomplishments of my invention will be apparent from the following description and ap pended claims.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my key anchoring and indicating device and showing a typical key and fragment of a chain connected thereto.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of my device taken on a longitudinal plane.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of my device showing one of the end portions compressed inwardly to expose the adjacent hook.

Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating a modilied form of body member.

Fig. 5 is an elevation illustrating a further modified form of body member.

Said novelty key indicator is not visible in the dark, but the keys can be distinguished through the sense of touch or grip, due to the distinctive and varying body shapes of the holders. It is also very convenient to tell the keys apart by view because the holders are made of dilerent shapes, colors and sizes.

Accordingly, the need for tags or numbers on the respective keys is eliminated. My indicator device acts as a detachable link or connector between one or more rings or a key chain or clasp.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, numeral 10 designates an elongated body member or grippable connector which is formed, preferably by moulding of resilient yieldable and flexible material such as porous or sponge-like rubber or of similar rubber-like material. Said body may be of varying shapes, the form illustrated in Figs. l to 3 resembling a fish, and in Fig. 4, I have illustrated the body 18 in the form of an automobile. In Fig. 5, the body in the form of a numeral 4 is designated as 10a. Other distinctive body shapes can be readily identilied by either sight or by the feeling of same.

Said body 10 has a longitudinal passage 11, and at each end thereof has a relatively short recess or passage 12 opening on the end face thereof, a short distance from end of the passage 11. Numeral 13 designates a metal attach the desired object thereto.

double ended link or bar which is slidably mounted in passage 11 and which has integral back turned end hooks 14 and 14a, whose end portions are disposed substantially parallel to the bar 13, and are so spaced that the same will normally seat into recesses 12 respectively, when body 10 is in its normal shape. Said body 10 may optionally have the passage therethrough enlarged at the middle part of the body to form a cavity or chamber as indicated at 11a.

When it is desired to attach or to detach either a key, ring or chain or similar object, or to connect keys or the like to a ring or chain, the end portion of body 10 which is adjacent the hook to be exposed and opened is pressed or compressed inwardly to thereby unseat and exlgse 3the opening of the adjacent hook, as illustrated 1n 1g.

When the object to be anchored is engaged on the hook, the compressed body portion is released and the end of the hook reseated in the adjacent recess 12. The same operation is repeated at the opposite end to releasably For example, in Fig.l, my device is illustrated as releasably connecting a chain 16 and a key 17.

ln Fig. 5, I have illustrated the body as numeral 10a, and which may be any desired number, and any combination of numbers or of distinctively shaped bodies, for example, an automobile shaped body 18 as illustrated in Fig. 4, may be used to mount a number of keys on a ring or other connector, or to each other.

The use of my novel mounting device saves considerable time and confusion to persons who carry a number of keys, which in most instances, are so similar in appearance as to be difficult to distinguish and identify by sight and even more diiicult to identify by feeling same.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims could be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrating and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. In a key indicator, an elongated body of compressible, flexible material; said body having a longitudinal passage therethrough and a recess in each end thereof spaced from said passage and being disposed substantially parallel to said passage; an elongated metal anchoring bar having an integral hook at each end thereof extending through said longitudinal passage and beyond the adjacent end of said body; the ends of said hooks being aligned with and normally seating in said recesses; the contraction of said body longitudinally being adapted to cause exposure of either of said hooks to permit attach ment or removal of a key or the like.

2. In a key indicator; an elongated body of flexible, contractable material; said body having a longitudinal passage therethrough and recesses opening on the ends thereof, said recesses being disposed substantially parallel to said passage; a metal anchoring link extending through said longitudinal passage having doubled back projecting ends forming hooks normally extending beyond the ends of said body; the extremities of said hooks being adapted to seat in said recesses to releasably lock keys and key rings on said hooks; the compression of said body being adapted to withdraw a portion of said body from hookengaging position to permit mounting or removal of a key or ring.

3. A key connector and indicator comprising an elongated distinctively shaped body of relatively soft compressible material; said body having a longitudinal passage therethrough and recesses opening on the ends thereof, said recesses being substantially parallel to said passage; an elongated anchoring bar extending through said passage having an integral inwardly opening hook at each end normally projecting beyond the adjacent end of said body; the extremities of said hooks being adapted to seat in said recesses to releasably lock keys and key rings on said hooks; the manual contraction of said body being adapted to expose the openings of said hooks to permit anchoring or removal of apertured objects with respect to said hooks.

4. A key identication connector comprising a hollow compressible body of yieldable material; said body having a passage therethrough and having inwardly extending recesses therein, said recesses being disposed substantially parallel to said passage; an elongated anchoring bar extending through said passage having integral inwardly `opening hooks at its opposite ends; the extremities of said hooks being adapted to normally seat in said recesses; the manual contraction of said body being adapted to expose the openings of said hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Faivre Feb. 10, 1885 Korf et al. June 13, 1911 Sapo Mar. 20, 1917 Grode Apr. 19, 1921 Olson July 24, 1923 Reyburn May 16, 1933 Stephens Oct. 21, 1947 Huston Feb. ll, 1947 

